MONTAGU'S HAEEIER 



201 



Montagu's Harrier, 

 Circus cineraceus. 



FIG. 67. MONTAGU'S HARKIER. | natural size. 



Upper parts bluish grey ; primaries black ; secondaries with 

 three transverse dark bars ; lateral tail-feathers white barred with 

 reddish orange : under parts white variously streaked with reddish 

 orange. Female : upper parts brown of various tints ; under parts 

 pale reddish yellow, with longitudinal bright red streaks. Beak 

 black ; legs and feet yellow. Length, eighteen inches. 



This hawk was named by Yarrell after the well-known orni- 

 thologist, Colonel Montagu, who was the first to distinguish between 

 this species and the hen harrier, which it so closely resembles. 

 Seen on the wing at a distance of two to three hundred yards, the 

 sharpest -sighted ornithologist would probably be unable to say 

 whether the bird was a hen harrier or a Montagu's harrier. The 

 present species is slimmer bodied ; but, owing to the greater com- 

 parative length of its wings, it appears, when flying, as large as 

 the hen harrier. It is a spring and summer visitor to this country, 

 and in its flight, and preying and breeding habits, closely resembles 



